His Gifts
by TaylorGibbs
Summary: Nick's Christmas gifts reveal a deeper, more enduring present. Gibbs/DiNozzo/OMC, more info in notes section of story.


Title:His Gifts

Author: TaylorGibbs

Spoilers: Flesh & Blood, even though an AU

Characters / Pairings: OMC/Gibbs/Dinozzo

Rating: PG

Genre / Category: fluff

Disclaimer: I only own Nick, and I'm not trading him for anything ;)

Thanks to Cat for the beta.

Summary: Nick's Christmas gifts reveal a deeper, more enduring present.

Notes:

This is set in my AU universe, which consists of Three for the SHow (Still WIP), and Healing Touch (which can be found here: /works/236767).

This is a snippet and part of an overall fanfiction that was commissioned by Alicia called Three for The Show. A sneak peek can be found . If you can't see the link, it is the May 5, 2011 entry in my live journal, which is this pen name dot livejournal dot com.

The overall story is still a WIP, and the pairings are Gibbs/DiNozzo, Tony/OMC, Gibbs/OMC, Gibbs/Tony/OMC. I've tried to structure this snippet so that you won't need to have read the WIP, which is at over 150,000 words and counting *grin*. It'll be posted when it is a bit closer to being finished.

What you need to know is that Tony and Gibbs no longer work for NCIS. They live with an actor named Nick, in New York. Nick is in his fifties and if you imagine Pierce Brosnan, graying at the temples, you have Nick. Tony and Nick became involved first, followed by Gibbs a few months later.

Thank you, as always, for reading, replying, and enriching my life.

Special notes: Family is not only biological, and I've been very fortunate and blessed to call some people I share no genetic bond with family. This is dedicated to them. Happy, safe, and blessed holidays!

Nick looked at his sleeping lovers and sipped his coffee. It was barely eight am, and he'd intended to let them sleep in, but he couldn't resist watching them. He settled into the battered but comfortable overstuffed chair in the corner of the room, coffee cup dangling from his hand, and watched them sleep.

They were so uncomplicated in this state. He could almost believe watching them that they weren't scarred by lives that were a damn sight harder than they should have been. Sure, they'd come a long way as a family, but there were still so many scars—Jethro's both physical and emotional, and Tony's pure emotional, no less deep even though they couldn't be seen with the naked eye.

Nick had encouraged them to deal with their fathers this holiday, but both of the men had resisted. Jackson Gibbs would never understand, Jethro said. He was old-fashioned, open minded as he could be, but old fashioned at the core. Plus, they'd been estranged for many years. It was all baby steps with Jethro, but part of that was choosing your battles. Jethro wasn't ready to take that step yet, and Nick understood.

And Tony had been so uncomfortable the one time Nick had met his father that Nick hadn't pushed beyond a casual "why not."

It was different for him, his father wasn't alive any more and Nick couldn't ever introduce him to the men who had stolen his heart and soul, who had given him new purpose. But even though he wasn't able to meet the guys, Nick could imagine the scene, the way his father would have embraced them both, the way he wouldn't have reacted beyond a lifted brow and a curious smile.

Tony turned over and Nick couldn't help but smiling. Even in the chill of a New York winter, Tony insisted on sleeping completely nude, even when that caused him to burrow against Nick or Gibbs, not that any of them minded. They'd made a pretty good life here, the three of them. There were problems and issues, and he and Gibbs butted heads more than Nick liked to consider, but these men were in his heart and soul.

"Family," he whispered, knowing that the true value of his was not merely biological. He'd chosen these men to have a life with, and Nick wouldn't have it any other way.

Tony shifted in sleep, making a small noise, his hand reaching for Nick's side of the bed, then he lifted his head when he realized Nick wasn't there.

"Morning," Nick whispered, voice sleep roughened.

"Mmmm, morning," Tony said, sitting up and stretching. There was something very little boy about the mussed hair, hanks sticking up every which way, and Tony's sleepy, yet relaxed look. "What time is it?"

"Early," Nick allowed, keeping his voice pitched low. Jethro was starting to stir and Nick didn't want to startle him to wakefulness. With Jethro's propensity toward nightmares, he liked to keep the man's sleep as even keeled as possible.

"Not too early," Jethro mumbled and Nick realized he was more awake than he'd considered. "Must be after oh eight hundred."

"It is. You boys want some coffee?"

Gibbs nodded and Tony gave Nick a hopeful look. He went to the kitchen and doctored up Tony's coffee, pouring Gibbs' black, just the way he liked it. The sounds of the men moving around met his ears and Nick turned to watch Tony stumble into the kitchen, a pair of pajama pants hanging low on his hips, his chest bare.

"Want to do presents now?" he asked hopefully. Tony had been like a little kid, wanting to know what everything was, shaking boxes. But Nick's presents hadn't been left in the house. There was no way he'd risk Tony or Gibbs figuring out what he'd gotten them before he was ready for them to know.

"Just one each for now. We'll open the rest later." Nick and the guys had planned a small get together, a dozen of their friends, and he intended to keep most of the present opening and gifting until then. But there was something special to sharing a small holiday tradition with his new lovers.

He pressed Tony's coffee mug into his hands and gave Tony a gentle kiss.

"Got some for me?" Gibbs asked, wandering in. His USMC T shirt was worn to buttery softness, and his sweat clung to muscular legs. You'd never know he'd almost died several times unless you saw the scars the clothes concealed.

"Of course," Nick replied, handing Gibbs his mug. Nick refreshed his and jerked his head toward the living room. "One present for each of you, I pick."

"Yes, sir," Tony replied teasingly, ducking the dual headslaps coming his way.

When his boys were settled, Nick disappeared into the garage, coming back with a slim envelope for Gibbs and a box for Tony. Though Tony was vibrating with excitement, Nick handed Gibbs the envelope first.

Even though Tony sighed dramatically, both men refused to acknowledge it with words, Nick's hand coming to rest on Tony's head. He mussed his younger lover's hair and waited as Gibbs opened up the envelope slowly, reading the card inside.

"Amboyna burl, Nick? That's very expensive wood." Gibbs expression was relaxing by the second, and the small smile that began ghosting over his face turned radiant, transforming his features and making him look years younger.

"And its tricky to work with," Nick added. "Thought you could use a challenge."

Gibbs nodded, giving Nick a look that was fond and full of love. "Thanks."

"My pleasure, Jethro," Nick replied, leaning over Tony to deposit a gentle kiss on his older lover's forehead, thumb caressing the back of Gibbs' neck.

"My turn?" Tony asked, bouncing in his seat. He tugged Nick down next to him, Nick's coffee sloshing around, and reached for the large box.

"Just a second, Speedy," Nick replied, keeping a firm tone. He took a long gulp of his coffee, and put it down before taking the box and putting it on his lap. "I wanted to get you each something that was perfect for you," he began, taking in Gibbs and then Tony. "I haven't had a lot of people I wanted to buy for, so I may have gone a little overboard this year. But I think you both know how much you mean to me. These presents are just the beginning, but they're the ones I wanted you to have first and foremost."

He placed the box gently on Tony's lap, looking into his eyes. "Enjoy this. I hope it means as much to you as I think it will."

Tony put his coffee cup down as well, his demeanor completely changed in an instant. His expression turned pensive and he stood, reaching for Nick's and Gibbs' hands. "I don't need more than you for Christmas," he told them quietly. "Well, maybe a Christmas Story, and Elf, and Miracle on 34th Street, and…"

It was such a Tony gesture to bring in movies to a tender moment. Nick chuckled, standing as well and nipping Tony's lip. When Jethro came to his feet as well, Nick pulled them both into a loose, comfortable embrace.

"Open the present, DiNozzo," Gibbs mock growled. "Wanna see what it is."

"Oh yeah, okay!" Just like that, the little boy part of Tony was back He pulled the wrapping paper off, teasingly sticking the bow on his head, and opened up the box. He pulled out over a dozen homemade DVDs, staring at the titles, a look of confusion clouding his features.

"But we have these on Blu Ray, Nick."

"Not with my commentaries."

"You did commentaries? On all of these?" Tony asked, eyes wide, expression one of full joy.

One of his favorite things was to have Nick narrate his movies, giving tidbits about the filming process, and Nick had wanted to make these more permanent for Tony. It had taken most of a week in a friend's recording studio and then another week to do the mixing, but Nick was proud of the finished product, and he hoped Tony would love them too. This gift had been chosen with as much care and attention as Gibbs' had been.

"Just for you," Nick replied. Tony's eyes looked suspiciously moist, and he wrapped himself around Nick, little sounds of abject joy emerging. Gibbs hesitated only a moment before joining the hug, snuggling in close. Nick was surrounded in love and by his boys, and he, too, let out a sound of joy.

This was what the holiday was all about. Family. Warmth. Love. He didn't need anything more than this.


End file.
